Urges Steady Job Opportunities
By E. W. Morigeau, Vice-Chairman, Tribal Council
I think the need on the Flathead Indian Reservation for jobs, for Indians is not to try to get canneries, etc, that are only seasonal. We have many seasonal occupations here now. What we need is steady employment, for the Indians.
The Industry is here now. Many jobs are open to Indians, as well as non-Indians. But the thing that is lacking is job training so that the Indians can handle these skilled jobs.
I think that the Bureau of Indian Affairs should sponsor a program on this reservation, as well as on other reservations that have as much Industry as we have, with the managements of all of the industry here on the Flathead: such as the Poison Plywood Co., Plum Creek Lumber Company at Pablo, the skilled jobs that go along with manufacturing timber, and in the woods—the operation of heavy duty equipment such as driving road tractors, auto patrols, truck driving and the modern machinery it takes to operate a modern saw milL
I have, as an officer of the Tribal Council, talked to employers here on the Reservation for them to employ more Indian help on the Reservation. I have managed to obtain steady employment for some members of our Tribe here on the Reservation.
I could get many skilled jobs for members of the Tribe if they were able to handle the present skilled labor that is now available.
I am in favor of doing everything possible to start a training program with Indians and Industry management.
William Isadore Durglo Ronan, Mont.
Urges Support of St. Ignatius Fire District
Last year a Rural Fire Department was created in St. Ignatius. The object was to reach out into the rural areas in fire protection as well as giving the city fire protection. In this case fire fighting equipment as well as a fire house was needed and which has since been built. This fire department was made applicable to come under a mill levy to non-trust operators and taxpayers.
Since it was late in the year getting organized and the levy was not made, an assessment of $8.00 was set as a basic figure to all the taxpayers in the St. Ignatius area. A couple years back a fire department was started in the Arlee area and an assessment of $5.00 was made to Iindians who could afford it and to taxpayers.
Inasmuch as we have tax exempt properly out of the city limits of St. Ignatius where many of our Tribal members live I personally hope for your own security and protection you will contribute to the St. Ignatius rural fire department. If you can match the non-members $8.00 you can say that is the cheapest insurance in the country, but by all means give what you can—for Public Relations sake.
CHAR-KOOSTA
PUBLISHED BY CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI TRIBES, FLATHEAD AGENCY, MONT.
Vol. 3 — No. 8
July, 1959
Fire Lookouts are Manned
Fire season officially started in the Flathead Indian Forest when a small fire caused by a lightning strike in the Hot Springs District on June 19, 1959.
Our fire control organization is now in high gear and we are showing the names and locations of the Fire Control Aides:
In the Arlee District Joe Gardipe is again holding down the Lookout position on Saddle Mountain and Bill McClure and Clarence Charlo are stationed at the old Jocko Agency.
In Flathead Agency District Ernest Pluff is stationed in the Buffalo Park as the Lookout and Louie Parker on Vanderburg Tower with Dick Barber in the Fire Warehouse at the Agency.
In the Hot Springs District Eddie Vanderburg is again the Lookout in
the Schmitz location and Joe Parker and Clarence Whitworth at the Hot Springs Ranger Station.
In the Poison District Skip Raymond is again on Jette Lookout and Bud Beauvais again on Irvine Lookout tower while Fred Ashley, Tom Antiste and Ignace Couture make up the smokechaser crew. As an interesting sidelight this fire season is the first one with all six lookout towers equipped with two-way radios and the Ranger Stations at Poison and Hot Springs are likewise equipped. This system of radio will provide immediate reporting of smokes to the various headquarters.
Remember fire is everyone's business so be sure and do your part.
1958 Christmas Tree Harvest Practices Are Discussed
By Walter W. McDonald
Regardless of blight in many areas of the Reservation the income was a little higher. Every year the income is unpredictable. Nevertheless, marketable trees are found, but still we have nothing to be proud of as far as conservation is concerned.
The following table may be of interest to the readers as our plan of operations is brought out despite the much needed conservation practices that are not carried out. Is should not be up to the Christmas tree inspectors or the Foresters to enforce the laws but the individual members should be in this battle of conservation in order that the present and future resources may be protected and increased, for the benefit of themselves and their children.
There have been comments rendered to the extent that concentration on blight spraying should be in effect. Since our interests in this program have been so sincere that we have built spur roads into Christmas tree areas, with no noticeable results in conservation it would be useless to spray for blight at a big expense and not conserve our resources. INTRODUCTION
The 1958 Christmas Tree season was outstanding in at least one respect—it proved that the experts are not always right. Predictions by Buyers, Cutters, and Foresters that the prospects for the 1958 harvest were very poor, were proven wrong at least as far as number of trees are concerned. Gross income from the 1958 season was $57,507.72 an all time high. 115,014 bales of trees were produced which was 184 bales less than the record production of 1956. The difference in gross stumpage of $5,668.40 between
the 1956 season and the 1958 is due to the increase of five cents per bale stump-age in 1957.
Early predictions of a poor harvest were based upon several factors. The three main factors being:
1. Wide Spread Blight. As late as October 10, 1958, Mr. Hofert of the J. Hofert Company, when speaking at the preseason meeting, stated that on his field inspections in Western Montana he had noted a considerable amount of blight. Cutters and foresters reported evidence of blight in several areas and since it was not reported that all the blight trees would show up til the middle of October, a prediction of a heavy blight for the Reservation was made.
2. Excessive Cutting Past Years. Many cutters questioned whether there was enough trees left to make cutting commercially feasible. Foresters in their daily work noted that almost all areas they had been in during the year had been cut at least once during the past several years.
3. Competition from Plantations. Current literature available indicated that many plantations planted five to 10 years ago would be coming into production probably this year. The more plantations that come into production, the less would be the demand in the market for wild grown trees.
Shortly after the 1958 cutting season began it became apparent that while there was blight on the Reservation, the blight was concentrated in relatively small areas scattered over the Reservation. It also became apparent that other Christmas Tree areas in Western Montana were hit very hard by the Christmas (Continued on page 4)